US9651565B2ActiveUtilityA1

Fish sexual characteristic determination using peptide hormones

65
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Nov 29, 2010Filed: Nov 23, 2011Granted: May 16, 2017
Est. expiryNov 29, 2030(~4.3 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Dana L. WetzelJohn E. ReynoldsWilliam E. Roudebush
G01N 33/74G01N 2333/495
65
PatentIndex Score
2
Cited by
30
References
25
Claims

Abstract

Fish sexual characteristics are determined by measuring the concentration in fish serum, plasma or whole blood of one or more peptide hormones of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily (TGF-β superfamily). The disclosed method and an accompanying field test kit may be used in sturgeon aquaculture to cull out young male fish so that increased time and resources may be devoted to the further rearing of female fish for caviar production. The method and test kit may also be used for wild fish life history studies.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for processing fish populations, which method comprises collecting blood from fish; optionally separating serum or plasma from such blood; measuring the concentration in such serum, plasma or blood of one or more peptide hormones of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily (TGF-β superfamily) wherein the peptide hormone comprises Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), Inhibin A (INHA), Inhibin B (INHB), Inhibin beta A (INHBA), Inhibin beta B (INHBB), Inhibin beta C (INHBC), Inhibin beta E (INHBE), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), or a combination thereof; making a determination of a fish sexual characteristic based on such peptide hormone concentration; and marking, storing, retrieving, culling, raising to maturity or otherwise classifying or processing selected fish based on such determination. 
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fish are from the family Acipenseridae. 
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fish are sturgeon. 
     
     
       4. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fish are aquaculture-reared and are three years of age or less. 
     
     
       5. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fish are 1.5 years of age or less. 
     
     
       6. A method for fish sexual characteristic determination, which method comprises collecting blood from fish; optionally separating serum or plasma from such blood; measuring the concentration in such serum, plasma or blood of one or more peptide hormones of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily (TGF-β superfamily); determining a desired fish sexual characteristic based on such peptide hormone concentration; and marking, storing, retrieving, culling, raising to maturity or otherwise classifying or processing selected fish based on such determination, wherein the peptide hormone comprises Inhibin A. 
     
     
       7. A method for fish sexual characteristic determination, which method comprises collecting blood from fish; optionally separating serum or plasma from such blood; measuring the concentration in such serum, plasma or blood of one or more peptide hormones of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily (TGF-β superfamily); determining a desired fish sexual characteristic based on such peptide hormone concentration; and marking, storing, retrieving, culling, raising to maturity or otherwise classifying or processing selected fish based on such determination, wherein the peptide hormone comprises Inhibin B or Anti-Müllerian hormone. 
     
     
       8. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the desired fish sexual characteristic is determined based on the peptide hormone concentrations of more than one peptide hormone of the TGF-β superfamily, wherein the peptide hormone is selected from the group consisting of Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), Inhibin A (INHA), Inhibin B (INHB), Inhibin beta A (INHBA), Inhibin beta B (INHBB), Inhibin beta C (INHBC), Inhibin beta E (INHBE), and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1). 
     
     
       9. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising measuring peptide hormone concentration in whole blood samples. 
     
     
       10. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising measuring peptide hormone concentration in serum or plasma samples. 
     
     
       11. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fish sexual characteristic is fish gender. 
     
     
       12. A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the processing comprises culling immature male fish, rearing remaining female fish to maturity and harvesting roe from the mature remaining female fish. 
     
     
       13. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing comprises roe harvesting. 
     
     
       14. A field test kit for fish sexual characteristic determination, comprising a hand-held device having a plurality of test sites that can accept a blood, serum or plasma sample from a fish and indicate concentration of a peptide hormone comprising Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), Inhibin A (INHA), Inhibin B (INHB), Inhibin beta A (INHBA), Inhibin beta B (INHBB), Inhibin beta C (INHBC), Inhibin beta E (INHBE), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), or a combination thereof, each test site comprising a support bearing a rapid-acting capture antibody and a rapid-developing reporter antibody or other indicator that provides a colorimetric or other indication of such peptide hormone concentration in less than 15 minutes after exposure of the support to such sample. 
     
     
       15. A test kit according to  claim 14  wherein individual test sites are movable or detachable with respect to one other. 
     
     
       16. A test kit according to  claim 14  wherein the peptide hormone comprises Inhibin A. 
     
     
       17. A test kit according to  claim 14  wherein the indicator provides a colorimetric or other indication of peptide hormone concentration in less than three minutes. 
     
     
       18. A test kit according to  claim 14  in non-hermetic packaging. 
     
     
       19. A test kit according to  claim 14  in non-sterile packaging. 
     
     
       20. A test kit according to  claim 14  wherein a sampled fish, or selected sampled fish having a desired sexual or other characteristic, can be nonlethally returned to water without asphyxiation. 
     
     
       21. A test kit according to  claim 14  wherein the peptide hormone comprises a combination of two or more peptide hormones of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily (TGF-β superfamily), wherein the two or more peptide hormones are selected from the group consisting of Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), Inhibin A (INHA), Inhibin B (INHB), Inhibin beta A (INHBA), Inhibin beta B (INHBB), Inhibin beta C (INHBC), Inhibin beta E (INHBE), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and a combination thereof. 
     
     
       22. A test kit according to  claim 14  wherein the peptide hormone comprises Inhibin B. 
     
     
       23. A test kit according to  claim 14  wherein the peptide hormone comprises Anti-Müllerian hormone. 
     
     
       24. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fish are from the subclass Teleostei. 
     
     
       25. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fish are salmon.

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